Magic and Mischief
by Hopeless Alchemist
Summary: It's been three years since the defeat of Zhaitan. While the Pact is juggling clearing Tyria and Orr of undead along with planning their next attack on the dragons, a new danger is making its way into the world from the Mists. Meanwhile, an unlikely group of friends is coming together in Lion's Arch, unaware of what their destiny holds. This is their story.
1. A New Beginning

**A/N: Hello there :) The first two chapters are kinda short and slow, but after that it picks up it's pace. Promise.**

**This is my first time writing anything for Guild Wars 2, so please give me a chance and leave behind any feedback you might have. Thank you.**

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**_A New Beginning_**

After checking her bag one last time, she let out a breath that she had been holding. She'd packed her leather armor and a cloth bound notebook with a pen, as well as about a dozen gold coins. Attached to her belt were a pair of daggers, and hidden in her right boot was yet another blade. Some called her paranoid. Ash preferred to say that she was cautious.

"Are you coming or going?" the asura standing in front of the gateway asked her. The strange character before her shook his oblong head, his floppy ears moving back and forth as he did so. Like most asura she'd come across he was grey skinned and a little more than half her height. If she remembered correctly, his name was Rakt. He began to mumble to himself while he checked once again to make sure the gate's coordinates were correct. His apprentice, a young female asura named Una, was sitting down off to the side with a bored expression on her face.

"Rakt, as fascinating as it is to sit around waiting for people to come and go from this gate, can you enlighten me on when this job gets to be worth my time?" she asked, in an irritated tone.

"What I'd like to know," Rakt started, turning on his heel to face her, "is why a Dynamics student agreed to an apprenticeship with a Statics alumnus."

Una shrugged her shoulders and said nothing more on the matter. She opened the notebook that was by her side and seemed to be jotting down calculations for something unrelated.

Rakt huffed and turned back to Ash. "I apologize for my apprentice's behavior."

Ash swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Magic had always made her nervous, no matter what kind it was. Asura magic was strange and she had no idea how it worked. She nodded her head and adjusted the strap of her bag so that it sat properly on her shoulder. "It's okay. I… I'm just anxious."

"Ah. It's your first time using one of these gates, isn't it?" he said. "I understand that you'd feel some discomfort towards the unknown, but rest assured there's nothing safer than traveling by Asura Gate, especially when you have a genius like me in charge."

Fighting back the urge to roll her eyes at him, Ash forced herself to smile and nod. She knew that he meant well, but every asura she'd met so far was pretentious, and she was amazed that they were able to get along with the other races as well as they did. Still, there was no denying that they were remarkable when it came to their magic and their inventions.

Taking another deep breath she stepped forward up the ramp and towards the large metal circle that was the gate. Purple magic flowed throughout the circle and Ash could feel her throat tighten again. Her steps faltered when she came within three feet of the Gate. She stopped again and looked through. She could see a clouded version of Lion's Arch through the purple haze of magic.

"Miss Ashlyn," Rakt said, using her real name. "You have absolutely nothing to be afraid of. In all the time that I've been working with this Gate there's never been a single problematic incident."

"And it's been _quite_ a long time," Una said, not looking up from her notes.

Rakt narrowed his eyes at his apprentice again, who was no longer paying attention to those around her. He clenched his fists and began mumbling to himself again, restraining himself from lashing out at his apprentice.

Ash opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it. She bit on her tongue before letting out a sigh. Pulling herself together she fixed the ends of her fingerless leather gloves and closed her eyes. She cleared the distance between her and the Gate and stepped through, partially because she didn't want to end up in the middle of an argument between to two asura.

One moment she'd been in the human city of Divinity's Reach, and now she was in Lion's Arch. The first thing she felt was the warmth. Lion's Arch was farther south then she'd ever been before, and when she opened her eyes she found herself gaping at the landscape. The great city had once been a haven for pirates trying to find a place to stay, and now it had turned into a multi-cultural melting pot.

Ash breathed deeply and exhaled through her mouth. A cool breeze swept over the landscape, carrying along a salty mist from the nearby ocean and blowing her waist length curls into her face. She brushed them back behind her ears and once again fixed her strap. She walked down the wooden ramp that led to a platform where several asura were walking around and yelling at each other. Ash lifted an eyebrow at them, but ignored their quarrels and continued into the city.

She was met with a large fountain with a golden lion leaping forward. Her eyes stared at it as she walked further into the bustling crowd. Everywhere she looked there was something strange and amazing. The city was filled with people of all shapes and sizes and of all the different races of Tyria. Ash could feel the smile on her face widen into a massive grin and she laughed lightly to herself.

"Amazing," she breathed.

"Ho, traveler!" a norn man said to Ash, his voice deep and rough like most other norn. She stopped and turned around to face him. He towered over her, standing almost twice her size at about ten feet. She craned her neck to make eye contact with the giant standing beside her. "You look like you've seen your fair share of fights." He gestured to the blades hanging from her belt.

"I guess you could say that," Ash said as she reminisced. She'd had to break up a number a bar fights back in Divinity's Reach, and at one point she'd gotten in trouble with a bandit gang. She managed to get out in one piece, but not without a few extra scars.

"I have a feeling you'd be more than welcome at our battle pits," he said.

Ash furrowed her brows. "Pits?"

The norn nodded his massive head. "The pits have become a great place to show off skill nowadays. The fights lost some meaning since the portals to the Mists arrived, but lately they've been getting some well needed attention. Adventurers and warriors of all kinds eventually find their way to our pits." He paused to smile. "I can see the intrigue in your eyes," he said. "The pits are down to the south."

Thoughts ran into each other in her mind before the corners of her lips pulled upwards. She glanced back towards the direction she'd come from. The bridge that lead to Fort Marriner and eventually to the battle pits was in her line of sight. The fingers of her right hand extended out before clenching into a fist around the hilt of her blade. She looked back up at the massive norn and nodded. "Thanks. I think I know where I'm headed now."

He laughed at this. "Good luck to you my friend."

Ash waved farewell to him as she started to jog towards the stone bridge.

_Where there're fights, there are bets. And where there are bets, there's money in it for the victor_, Ash reasoned as she spun around to avoid crashing into a small group. She smiled to herself. _I should be able to make easy money!_

"Watch it!" a charr growled at her and dodged backwards to avoid getting hit.

"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder, not stopping for even a second until the massive crowd came into view.

Members of various races were crowded together. Cheering roars echoed off of the fort walls. Ash slowed her pace down to a walk and stepped into the mass of people. Her small size allowed her to slip past the crowd with ease as she made her way to the front.

It was a battle between a couple charr, a female and a male. Their swords clashed together repeatedly, loud chimes sounding with each hit. The one on the right, the female, let out a ferocious roar that caused the crowd to cheer even louder. The male narrowed his eyes and lunged forward with his sword, an attack that was quickly thrown off. His sword was knocked from his hands and he was soon met with one that threatened to cut off his head.

"Give up yet?" the female said, holding her sword against his neck

The two stood still for a few brief moments before he put his hands up in surrender. He growled inwardly and said, "Fine. I give up."

She pulled her sword back and laughed. "Hahaha! I win! Drinks are on you tonight."

"Yeah, yeah," he said as he fetched his sword. "But I'm not losing again!"

The crowd slowly scattered with the end of the fight. Ash looked around and saw an asura standing off to the side on a bar stool. People were on their way over to him to collect money from bets.

"There you are," he said as he handed another charr a small bag of money. "You're pretty good at this."

The charr smirked and tossed the bag in the air before catching it.

"Uh, hello?" Ash said to the asura.

He looked up at her. "Sorry, but bets are closed for the day. Come back tomorrow for the next round."

"I'm not here to bet," she said. "I'm here to fight."

The asura raised a brow at this. "Are you sure about that?"

Ash frowned. "Of course. Why else would I come over here?"

He smirked at her response. "Well, if you're certain about this I guess I'll put your name on the board. How's tomorrow sound for you?"

The frown pulled back up into a smile. "Perfect."

"All right then." He pulled out a notebook and a pen. "What are you called?"

"Ash," she said.

He nodded. "All right then. Ash it is." He snapped the notebook closed and stood tall on the stool he was on, as if to make himself appear tougher. "Rules are you can use whatever method of attack you want, but you can't kill nor can you mortally wound any of your opponents. That also means you cannot cut off limbs." He shook his head. "Wouldn't believe how specific we have to be with some folks." He straightened out and continued where he left off. "You're only fighting them until they give up or until you wear them out to the point of exhaustion. If you are severely injured at any point we have healers standing by to take care of you after your fight. Do you understand?"

Ash nodded at this. "Yes."

He smiled at her and nodded in return. "Then welcome to Lion's Arch. I wish you luck in your fight tomorrow. Be here at noon."

Pleased with herself, Ash waved goodbye to him and set off to find an inn.


	2. Of Dreams and Nightmares

**A/N: Hi there, it's me Hopeless. If you're here I guess that means you like what I wrote in the first chapter and are back for more. So here's chapter two, where we meet the next member of our group. Just as a note, because Sylvari are accepting of love there is some slight girl x girl in this chapter. I hope it doesn't weird you out too much. **

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**_Of Dreams and Nightmares_**

Closing her book with a hard snap, Kaiana flopped onto her hammock and stared at the ceiling of her pod. The young sylvari let out a frustrated sigh and pressed her hands to her face.

"What are we going to do Emmer?" she asked her fern hound as she looked to the side, letting her hands fall. Emmer was curled up into a ball in her corner of the pod. She almost looked like a shrub, save the movement of her chest that showed she was no ordinary plant. Kaiana growled at the hound. "You're no help."

The hound's eyes opened and met her master's gaze. Her mouth opened wide as she yawned before she resumed her previous position.

There was a brief moment of silence as the two stayed still.

"That's it!" the sylvari cried out. "I can't do this anymore! Sitting around is maddening!" She swung her legs over the side of the hammock and stepped towards the door.

Emmer looked up and made a sound of curiosity in the back of her throat. Kaiana grabbed her quiver and swung it over her shoulder. She made a clicking sound with her tongue, a sound that Emmer recognized as "you don't get to sleep right now, you're coming with me", and grabbed the bow that was sitting on the table.

The hound yawned a second time as she stood, stretching forward. She narrowed her eyes at her master in annoyance.

"Don't give me that look!" Kaiana protested. With another sigh she knelt down to meet the hound's gaze. She petted the leaves on her head and Emmer licked her nose. "You'll like this. I promise. Okay? Okay. Well, come on."

Emmer obediently followed at Kaiana's heels as they left the pod and were met with the wilds of the Grove. The grassy roads were filled with residents and visitors. She was just another face among so many to her people.

Except for one…

"Kaiana!" a voice from behind called.

She turned on her heel and saw Drysi. Her skin was a careful mixture of light shades of green and brown. Her leafy hair was a deep gold and her pale green eyes shone brightly in the dim lighting of the Grove's lowest level. Kaiana couldn't help but smile as she came to her.

Drysi took Kaiana's hands in hers before leaning forward to plant a kiss on her cheek. "There you are," she said with a wide grin. "I was looking for you."

"I just left my pod," Kaiana said.

"Ah," Drysi said. There was a knowing look in her eyes as she continued to smile at the young girl. "You haven't been able to sit still since you fell of the tree."

"Why would you want to sit still?" she asked. "There's so much to discover beyond the Grove!"

"But that's not it," she said. Her smile faded into a look of melancholy. "I can sense tension in you. It's those faces you told me about. The ones from your Dream."

Kaiana met Drysi's gaze and held it. They stared each other down for a few seconds before Emmer nudged Kaiana forward an inch, throwing off her end of the stare.

_What are you doing!? _she thought as she looked down at the hound.

Emmer narrowed her eyes at her master and gave her a look that seemed to say "you have to talk to her eventually".

She let out a sigh and nodded. _Damn it, you're right._

"Dear heart?" Drysi started, concern in her voice. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm sorry," she said. She looked down at their hands and interlaced her fingers with Drysi's. "I've just had a lot on my mind is all. I've heard that a Wyld Hunt nags at your soul, but this… This is no calling. It's a mystery. I found you and that's wonderful, but the others..."

"You're hoping that some time out will help you clear your mind."

She nodded. "Exactly. Would you like to join us? We're going just outside the Grove, not that far. I know you hate feeling disconnected..."

Drysi smiled and kissed Kaiana again, this time on the lips, cutting her off from saying more. When she pulled back she nodded. "I'll go with you. I'll need my bow though."

Kaiana nodded. She clicked her tongue and Emmer's leafy ears perked up. The leafy hound looked up at her master and stood to follow.

The two walked with Drysi to her home at the opposite end of the Grove. Like most, it was a building that had been grown straight from the landscape. Kaiana had grown accustomed to referring to these structures as pods. It blended in with the natural landscape, and to an average visitor it might have been overlooked. To the sylvari it was someone's home.

Drysi entered her pod, Kaiana following behind her.

"So where are you planning on going?" Drysi asked as she began searching for her bow. Emmer stepped around her master and nudged her leg, pointing towards a corner with her nose. Drysi looked up and saw her bow leaning against the wall. She smiled and nodded a 'thank you' to the hound.

"Just for a walk through the Caledon," Kaiana said. "The weapon is just in case we have to fight off anything. The Nightmare Court has been giving one of the outposts some trouble as of late. It's not on the route I planned, but it's a precaution."

She nodded as she pulled her own quiver over her shoulder. "As long as we're together we'll be fine."

Kaiana smiled softly at her. Drysi was her best friend as well as one of her dearest companions, with Emmer being the only other one. Her Dream was composed mainly of faces and of strange, shadowy figures. Drysi was the one that was clearest among them and the first she'd found. Ever since then they'd become close.

The three of them made their way up the levels of the Grove and finally out into the Caledon Forest. The sylvari had made their mark on the forest, but even so they tried their best to preserve the natural order of the forest. 28 years of their existence had transformed the world greatly. With the defeat of the Elder Dragon Zhaitan, the Wardens (with the help of Pact soldiers) had finally cleared out the risen monsters that had washed up on the shores, making it safe for people to explore and relax.

"It's hard to imagine that there used to be undead things walking around here," Drysi said, her own thoughts similar to her friend's. "I've heard stories about what the forest was like. I suppose we should be grateful that we awoke when we did."

Kaiana nodded in agreement. She looked around as they passed the first out post.

"Kaia? What are you looking for?" Drysi asked. The other girl put her hand up to silence her. She frowned at the hand in her face. "Kaia?"

Her gaze was distant as she tried to remember something, her silver colored eyes darting back and forth. Drysi recognized the look on her face and kept her mouth shut, not wanting to throw off her concentration.

"Aha!" Kaiana cheered loudly after a moment of silence. She turned towards her and smiled. "I remember now. The path I took the other day." She clicked her tongue and Emmer perked up again. "Follow me. I have just the place I want to show you."

"Kai…" Drysi's words were cut off by Kaiana's inability to stay still for more than a few minutes. She ran after her girlfriend and her dog, the whole time calling for her to slow down.

The three of them ran out into the depths of the forest. Eventually Kaiana slowed down to wait for her.

"Where are you taking us?" Drysi demanded with a smile on her face. Emmer looked at her master with a questioning look on her face.

"It's just beyond these bushes," was the response that came. Kaiana disappeared behind a thick plant.

"Kai!" she called out.

Emmer barked at her master before going through the plants as well.

Drysi stared at the plants in front of her. She let out a yelp when something touched her arm.

"Close your eyes," she heard Kaiana's voice say.

She swallowed in discomfort but did as she was told. Kaiana took hold of her hand and guided her through the thick mass of plants. Her muscles were tense even after she emerged from the shrub.

"Keep them closed!" Kaiana warned her.

"They are!" Drysi retorted, laughing despite her initially annoyed tone. "Where are you taking me?"

"It's a secret."

"When can I open my eyes?"

There was a pause and Kaiana let go of her hand. Drysi nearly fell over when a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind. "Now."

She opened her eyes and her mouth fell open. It was amazing. The three of them stood atop a massive ridge that overlooked an amazing waterfall. Above them was a wide opening in the trees, letting sunlight down into the miniature valley. Shimmers of light gleamed off of the water, casting a soft crystalline glow on everything it shone on.

"Kaia," Drysi started. She could hardly speak.

Kaiana unwrapped herself from Drysi and sat down. "It's amazing, right?"

She could only nod in response, causing Kaiana to laugh. She dropped to her knees beside her and closed her mouth, the shocked look replaced with a smile.

Emmer yawned, becoming the center of attention for a brief moment as she curled back into a ball.

"Kai, this is beautiful," Drysi finally said after a moment of looking around. "How did you find this place?"

She shrugged and lied down so that she was facing the sky. Her pale green skin soaked in the sunlight, bringing a smile to her face as she closed her eyes. She pushed her black leaves behind her ears as she spoke. "It called to me I suppose. It was late at night and I couldn't sleep, so I left Emmer in my pod and went out. While I was out I could hear water moving and that's it. I've been meaning to take you here sooner, but things distracted me."

"Kaia! You went out at night _alone_? What if the Nightmare Court had gotten you!?" she exclaimed, frantic.

Kaiana opened her eyes and reached up to brush back Drysi's golden leaves that had fallen forward in front of her face. Drysi grabbed her hand and looked at her with wide, sad eyes.

"Don't worry. I won't let that happen. And if anything happens to you I promise that I'll come and save you." She smiled at her and said, "Now come lie down with me. The sky is clear and the sun is warm."

Drysi smiled softly as she pulled her knees out from under her and rested on her back. Her eyes closed and she let out a peaceful sigh. The day was still young. It would be best for them to enjoy it.


	3. Big Wins and Bittersweet Greetings

**A/N: Hi again! In this chapter the third member of the group is revealed, and then you'll learn more about Ash from her point of view. As a heads up Kaiana is the main character of the next chapter. The next two member's of the group will show up eventually, but I'm still working out the kinks in their stories. **

**So I hope you enjoy, and I'd appreciate any feedback you might have. Thank you :)**

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_**Big Wins and Bittersweet Greetings**_

It was a very busy noon in Lion's Arch, more so than usual for some reason. Veros stared at the crowd that had gathered around the pits. They had gone strangely quiet, nothing more than hushed voices. Curiosity took over the charr and he found his way over to the crowd. Other people were doing the same.

It was a human. Not just any human. She was young, barely an adult it seemed. She was small, somewhat scrawny, and there was a downed norn sprawled out on the ground in front of her. He was unconscious, yet despite her drawn weapons there was no blood. The human girl sheathed her daggers and turned around to face the crowd. Veros stared in mixture of amazement and amusement. Amazement towards the girl for taking out the norn, and amusement towards the norn for getting his ass beat by a little girl.

She smiled at the crowd before turning towards the pit announcer, another norn, who stared at her with a mix of wonder and fear.

"So who's next?" she asked.

The crowd around Veros suddenly exploded into cheers and applause. The little girl grinned, relishing in the praise. Veros rolled his eyes at the human, but couldn't help but let out a laugh as the norn was dragged from the pit.

"Who's might will be tested against the newcomer next!?" the announcer called loudly to the asura at the betting stands.

The asura wiped away the norn's name that had been written on the chalk board. He looked over the list of remaining names and called, "Elex Bloodslicer!"

Vero recognized the charr that was called forward. She was low ranking member of the Slicer warband. Blood legion, like he once was. Her warband had been led by the same Centurion as Veros' for a couple years.

He looked from the little girl to Elex, who had just stepped into the ring. _That mouse is about to be torn in half._

"Think the human's got a chance?" a norn woman said from behind him.

"Hard to tell," said a softer voice. A sylvari girl. Veros could recognize the accent all the plant people shared. "She took down that man in just a few hits. Didn't even need to use her blades. But that charr looks blood thirsty."

"Most of them usually look like that," the norn said before laughing. The sylvari laughed as well, but it was forced from a nervous tone.

Veros leaned against the wall beside the pit and kept a close eye on both of the fighters.

"You two know the rules," the announcer called, his booming bass interrupting conversations among the crowd. "One, two, three. Fight!"

The human drew her light blades and the charr pulled out a greatsword. Elex brought her sword up and swung fiercely towards the human. She lowered herself out of reach before vanishing. The crowd began to murmur and Elex started to get mad.

"Show yourself and fight me!" she shouted.

The human reappeared behind the charr, a determined look crossing over her face. She brought her hands together and rammed them into the center of the charr's spine. Elex let out a roar and quickly turned around, sword swinging.

The human brought her blades up to block the greatsword. A loud chime sounded and one of the human's blade was knocked from her grasp. It didn't seem to matter. The human used the hilt of the blade to jab into a spot under Elex's ribs. The charr made a choking sound that surprised the crowd, obvious from the gasps. No one thought that the human would stand a chance against her.

She quickly recovered and soon the sword was swinging and the human managed to avoid each attack. Veros kept a close eye on the human, his eyes narrowing at the way she was studying her opponent. Her next attack was a quick blow to Elex's side. She'd made a mistake in wearing leather armor to the pits. While it was much cooler than plate armor in the heat of the city, it gave the skilled thief an advantage towards vulnerable areas of her body.

The human continued to block her attacks until she swung her own blade across the front of the leather coat Elex wore. It was a clever distraction. As the greatsword came towards her once more, she dodged and pulled a light blade from the side of her knee high boot. Veros' eyes grew wide at her sneaky attack. The blade she pulled from her boot plunged into the charr's upper arm. Elex's body went still in shock. It was the human's first direct hit with her dagger.

"Surprise," the human said, a sadistic smile on her face. She forcefully yanked the blade free before stabbing Elex in both her legs. The charr could hardly move at this point. The sword fell from her hands and she her body froze as she started to lean forwards. The human dodged back and Elex fell to the ground.

The crowd went wild. They erupted into a mixture of cheers and applause.

_Poison,_ Veros thought as he watched her sheath her daggers. She lifted her now free hands up in the air and took a bow, enjoying the attention she was getting. The poison wasn't deadly. One of the pit rules was to not mortally wound your opponents. No. It was a poison meant to stiffen your muscles and make you immobile. Veros had first hand experience with poison like it. It would dilute itself after a certain amount of time, but it was damned inconvenient. To be hit even once could prevent you from moving anywhere for a few minutes, but with the three hits Elex had taken she'd be out for at least an hour. Unless of course these healers could reverse the effects.

More medics came out and pulled Elex away. Veros didn't take his gaze away from the little girl once.

Three fights later and Veros noticed that each time was the same. The girl's opponent would dash madly into the fight, while the human girl studied their every move. Eventually she'd attack, either with her poisoned blades or by attacking pressure points, and the enemy would fall like a dead tree.

The afternoon fight came to a closing with the girl finally stepping out of the arena. The next couple fights held no meaning. It was simply a way for friends to embarrass each other with defeat.

With the setting of the sun the crowd finally dispersed. Only Veros was left, standing in the same spot he had been.

The girl stayed for a few minutes to talk to the announcer and the asura.

"You surprised me kid," the asura said. He counted out silver pieces leftover from bets and handed them to her. She put them in her pocket and grinned.

"You doubted me yesterday. I'm happy to finally have been able to prove an asura wrong," she said.

"I do admit that I was wrong in doubting you," he said, his head held low in defeat. "If we're lucky the crowd won't doubt you either. Will you be fighting tomorrow?"

She shook her head. "No, not tomorrow. There's someone I have to see before I can do anything else. Once that's done though I'll be back every day until I'm finally defeated."

The announcer laughed. "You'll be well off by the time that day comes."

She laughed with him for a short moment. "I'll be seeing you guys. Take care now." With that she turned around and started off towards the rest of the city.

Veros watched as she left. There was something strange about this mouse that he hadn't noticed in her kind before.

* * *

Ash made her way to the Crow's Nest tavern. After a long day of fighting a glass of cold ale sounded more than appealing in the clinging heat of the sea side city.

The second she stepped into the bar she was surrounded by the same crowd that had been at the pits.

"It's the newcomer!" a norn woman called loudly. Cheers bounced off of the walls of the small tavern and glass mugs cracked against each other.

Ash forced a smile. All she wanted was a drink; not a crowd! Even so, she left the poisoned blades on her belt and went along with it.

"We haven't seen your type in Lion's Arch in ages," the norn said, escorting the small girl to the bar.

A norn man, much older than the woman, lifted his glass towards Ash. "Last I saw someone like you Edge of Steel was the main attraction."

The human furrowed her brows. "Members of Destiny's Edge," she thought out loud.

"Yup! Logan Thackeray, Rytlock Brimstone, and the Firstborn Caithe," he said before lifting the mug to his lips. He drank down a large swallow, leaving behind a mustache of foam when he brought it back down to the counter. "Ever since the pits started getting popular again all we've had are your average soldiers and brawlers. I'm glad we have a different form of entertainment for a change. Thieves like you don't usually want to fight publically."

Ash pulled a couple silver pieces from her pocket and slid them across the counter to the charr bartender. The charr took the coins and filled a mug with the house brew. Ash drank down her first few gulps, and as she pulled back she began to feel light headed.

"Whoa that's strong," she said, glancing down into the mug. The mug itself was almost as wide as her head. She licked the foam from her lips and looked up at the people around her.

"We're in Lion's Arch kid," the woman said as she sat on the stool next to Ash. "Just be glad we're not in Hoelbrak. Hah! A little lightweight like you wouldn't last ten seconds!"

Smirking at this, she drank some more and joined in the conversations of the other customers. They'd all traveled from various parts of the world, either by land or by Asura Gate. In any case they were all searching for new beginnings, just like her.

"Would a fighter like you ever be interested joining a team?" a human man, his name was Cain, asked her.

She looked him in the eyes, a puzzled look on her face. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering if we should be on the lookout for a new guild," Cain responded, a devious smile on his face.

"You mean like Edge of Steel or Destiny's Edge?" Ash smirked before laughing at the mere suggestion. "How 'bout I make you a deal? If that day ever comes drinks'll be on me for a week."

He laughed at her offer, but put his hand out in seriousness. "I'm holding you to that, Ash of Divinity's Reach."

Ash grabbed the young man's firm hand and shook it. "I never go back on my promises, Cain of Lion's Arch."

They held each other's gaze for a second before Ash stood from her barstool. Her second mug was empty, as well as much of the bar, and she was down almost ten silver pieces. People had gone back to their homes and it was time for her to go back to her room.

"Will we see you tomorrow at the pits?" Cain asked her.

"Not tomorrow, friend," she said. Only now did she realize her words had begun to slur from the alcohol. "Day after, but not tomorrow."

"Then until we meet again."

Ash nodded her head and began to descend the many ramps it had taken to get up to the tavern.

Even in the dark of night to city was amazing. Street lights glimmered off of store fronts and buildings, guiding her way. The stars above reminded her of back in her old city, and she began to feel homesick for the crowded human city she'd grown up in.

_You have to let it go,_ Ash told herself, slapping her cheeks. She could hardly feel anything and let out a sigh. _If you can get past tomorrow you'll be fine. _

The owner of the inn paid her no mind as she walked up the stairs to the room she paid for. There was a bed, a small dresser, and a mirror mounted on a wall. Ash closed the door and undid the fastening on her belt. She pulled it from her hip and tossed it on top of the dresser. The blade in her boot was next. She pulled it out with care, making sure to avoid touching the blade. While the poison she used only affected the inside of the body, Elex's blood was still in the slight ridges of the blade.

Ash unlaced the ties of her leather top and pulled it over her head so she was left in an undershirt. She kicked off her boots and pulled the tie holding her hair out of her face. The curls cascaded down around her and she sighed. She was tired, and she already knew that she was going to regret the massive mugs of ale the next morning.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

The light coming through the small window glimmered off of the blood stained dagger from Ash's boot. The light reflected onto her closed eyelids, causing her to stir slightly. While the rest of the city was wide awake by now, the little human girl had barely moved at all.

_Ash… Wake up… _she thought to herself. She rolled onto her side and pulled the thin sheet over her head. It did nothing to prevent the light from shining on her face. After a few seconds she gave up and got out of the bed. The second she stood she felt dizzy. Her body began to sway and stopped when she caught hold of the bed post.

"That's it," she muttered. "I'm never drinking another drop of that stuff again." She inhaled a deep breath and let it out, silently praying to Dwayna, the goddess of healing. The human gods had never answered her, but no matter what she would continue to believe that they were out there.

Ash brushed her hair out of her face and slapped her cheeks. "Come on Ashlyn. You need to at least act like a normal person today."

With a sigh, she grabbed the tie from the top of the dresser and wove her hair into a long braid. Her leather coat sat at the foot of the bed and she pulled her arms through the sleeves. The scuffed boots that she'd had since she was a street rat were next. She was a Thief, but in more ways than one before she came to Lion's Arch. The Seraph didn't care about what she did, so she was able to get away with stealing food and supplies.

She wouldn't be competing in the pits today, so she left the light blades on the dresser. After checking her appearance in the mirror, she nodded to herself and set off. No one seemed to notice the hung-over girl. She was just another face in a sea of people as far as she saw it.

Her grey eyes searched the merchant block until she saw what she was looking for; a flower stand. She breathed deeply and made her way over.

The vendor was a sylvari with dark green skin. Her hair resembled long flower petals, and even her clothes were made of leaves. In short, she was just like the rest of the race of plant people.

"Can I help you?" she asked her when she walked up.

Ash looked over the flowers. Her lips pulled up into a slight smile. There were roses.

"One of those," she said, pointing to the dark red flowers.

"Just one?"

She nodded. "Any more and it would lose its meaning."

The sylvari smiled and pulled the fullest flower from the bunch, skillfully avoiding the thorns as she wrapped the stem in a sheet of paper. "You must be meeting with someone special if you're that concerned."

Ash pulled out a couple silver pieces and handed it to the woman. "Yeah. Very special."

The sylvari handed her the flower and took the shining coins. "Good luck to you," she called.

The rose seemed to look up at Ash the whole way until she finally reached her destination. Ash smirked and sat down in front of her sister's gravestone.

"Hey Melody," she said. She set the flower in front of the engraved stone. "I brought you a present. Yeah flowers are kinda depressing, but you always liked roses."

It was hard to speak. It'd been more than ten years since Melody died. She was Ash's older sister and a member of the Lionguard. The tower she was guarding had been ambushed and no one made it out alive. After the incident Ash was taken to Divinity's Reach. No one expected her to end up on the streets.

"So I finally made it back here. It's been a while, huh?" She smiled and wrung her hands. "I've been competing in the battle pits. It's a lot different from when you were around. They got rid of the arena and put in Asura Gates. They claim they go to the Mists, but I doubt that's true.

"And… Zhaitan is finally dead," she said after a moment. "The Orders finally started getting along. Call themselves the Pact now. This guild called Destiny's Edge joined up with them. They came along a couple years after you died. Remember Logan Thackeray? That guy you were 'in love with' until he went off to fight in Ebonhawke? He's a member of their group. Along with a norn, a sylvari, an asura, and a charr. Yeah, charr. Ebonhawke and Ascalon have a peace treaty now. It took a lot of time, but there hasn't been war with them for a few years now. Isn't that great?"

Ash almost expected an answer, but as she looked at the engraving she let out a sigh.

"Anyway, that guild is one of the reasons the dead stay dead now. Last night I went to the bar after fighting in the pits. It was weird. There was a norn that said that he hadn't seen a fighter like me since members of that guild were fighting here in the city. Strange, right? Then I made a bet with this guy. He wanted to know if I'd ever join a group like that. I told him I'd buy him a week's worth of beer if that happened." She laughed and imagined her sister rolling her eyes at her. "If anyone makes the offer I'd probably go for it, but for the sake of my wallet I hope that never happens. I saw the way he was drinking last night. I'll be out almost ten gold pieces if he wins."

She continued to tell her sister stories of how life had changed in the past decade until the city began to darken once again. With a bittersweet farewell, she returned to the inn.


	4. What Separates Us From Them

**A/N: Hi there! This chapter is written from Kaiana's perspective and again there is a little girl x girl. In any case I hope you enjoy and I'd appreciate any feed-back you're willing to give :)**

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_**What Separates Us From Them **_

Kaiana paced around the small room of her pod, her thin hands reaching up to hold her head. Her eyes scrunched closed, and her body shook slightly as she tried to hold herself together. Her breathing had gotten heavy and she was about to start mumbling, the same way it always ended up.

Emmer whined softly to herself before going to sit in the corner. The hound knew better than to try and do anything when her master got like this. She'd seen her like this many times since Kaiana first brought her home with her, and after almost three months she knew better than to get in the middle of the storm that was brewing inside of her friend.

So she stayed put and watched.

The sylvari's pace quickened ever so slightly. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't block out the visions that continued to follow her. The five faces she'd seen in her Dream. Somehow they were all important in her life. Drysi was the most important person to her and the feelings they felt for each other were mutual. But it was hard to be with someone when all one could see was several other people. At some points the remaining faces all converged into one mass. In her nightmares four pairs of eyes stared into her very soul. The shadows would come from the sides and black out her vision, leaving her in darkness. She knew she wouldn't be free from this madness unless she left and found the owners of the faces haunting her.

"But I don't want to leave!" she cried out, her voice shaking and raspy. Pinpricks stabbed at the inside of her closed eyelids, forcing them to open and let the tears fall. They dripped down her cheeks and to the ground. Her breathing became ragged and the tears continued to fall. Kaiana's chest heaved and she sank to her knees, her hands still holding the sides of her head.

Emmer whined again, not used to the loud sobs of her master. Never had the emotions coming from the young girl been as extreme as tonight. She curled up in her corner and longed for it end.

Kaiana heard a gasp and quickly swallowed. Slowly, she lifted her head from her hands and turned towards the direction the sound had come from. It was Drysi.

"K-kaia!" she nearly shrieked. The frantic girl hurried into the pod and got down on the floor. She grabbed Kaiana's hands and tried to look her in the eyes. The sobbing sylvari closed them tightly, not wanting to admit her weakness, as well as trying to get the images to escape from her mind.

"Why did you come here?" she questioned. Her voice was raspy from holding back tears and it cracked halfway through her sentence.

Drysi wiped tears away from Kaiana's cheeks. "I could feel that you're hurting and I came as fast as I could to see what was wrong."

Kaiana drew in a shaky breath. She continued to breathe in short gasps as she spoke. "It… it's the faces. They're all… I can see. Drysi… it hurts. I don't want this. Help me."

Her love's desperate pleas caused a sympathetic pain to flare in the golden sylvari's heart. The connection the two had was strong, and she could sense the emotions that were flowing through Kaiana's mind; fear, desperation, and sadness. Drysi wrapped her arms around her and with one hand rubbed her back gently. "I'll help you Kai. Come. Let's get you to your hammock."

The sobs didn't stop, but carefully she was lifted from the floor and guided to the swinging bed. It was wide enough for two, so once Kaiana had been lain down Drysi took the spot beside her, deciding it would be best to stay with her. She wrapped her arms around the small sylvari's shoulders and held her to her chest in hopes that keeping her close would comfort her.

Slowly the sobs came to a stop, but the emotions were still there until Kaiana fell asleep with her head on Drysi's chest.

The golden sylvari brushed Kaiana's black leaves off of her pale tear soaked face. Her eyes had finally relaxed and she looked content. Drysi held her tightly to her chest for a moment and kissed the sleeping girl on the top of her head.

_She's at peace now, but tomorrow I'm taking her to the Firstborn,_ Drysi decided as she let her own eyelids fall. _With any luck they can help her._

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

Kaiana woke up to find her head resting against Drysi's chest. The sound of her steady heart beat put her at ease and she breathed in her sweet scent. For a few moments she didn't mind that she couldn't remember why she was here, she just wanted someone to hold her.

"Kai? Are you awake?" Drysi's soft voice asked.

She nuzzled into the crook of her neck and sighed. "Yes, I am now."

Drysi smoothed Kaiana's leaves back and kissed the top of her head. "Are you okay dear heart? Last night…" she trailed off.

Her eyes opened wide, the memories finally coming back to her. They closed tightly again and she buried her face into the leaves of her friend's top. Drysi rubbed her back in soothing circles.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she questioned, her tone soft yet demanding.

Kaiana opened her mouth to speak, the closed it. Nothing she thought of sounded as if it would be reasonable. There was no good reason. After a few false starts she finally pushed herself up and looked at Drysi. Her green eyes were shining brightly in the dim lighting of the pod. Her eyelids left her eyes half closed from the leftover sleep.

"Because I thought I could handle it alone," she said finally. "I thought that I'd be able to ignore the faces and shadows."

"You're not… falling into Nightmare, are you?" Drysi asked. There was a look of fear in her eyes that caused Kaiana's heart to jump.

"No," she said defensively. Her tone softened and she took her love's hands in hers. "No no no. I could never become one of those… monsters. They cannot love. There is only hate in their hearts. You know me better than that. You know the love I have for you."

Drysi smiled a sweet smile at Kaiana. "I love you too Kaia," she said. "And I think we should go to the Firstborn."

Kaiana frowned. "Why?"

"They might be able to help. They've been around longer than the rest of us. If they can help you understand your Dream maybe nights like last won't happen anymore."

She closed her eyes and bit her tongue. She'd never felt so weak before. It was three months she'd been in the world. Three long months of shadows and nightmares. The night before was a nightmare until Drysi showed up. Thank the Pale Tree she had come when she did.

Eventually she nodded. "Okay. I'll go. But you have to come with me. I don't want to be alone anymore."

Drysi closed the distance between them with a brief kiss. She pulled back and said, "I never want you to feel alone again."

The two of them remained on the gently swinging hammock until they heard Emmer yawn from the other room. Kaiana let go of Drysi's hands and rolled off. Drysi followed suit.

The fern hound looked up at the two sylvari with wide eyes. Her master kneeled down beside her and ruffled her leaves.

"What's wrong Em?" Kaiana asked, petting back the hound's leafy ears.

Emmer seemed taken aback by the question. She whined softly and stepped forward to nuzzle against her master's chest.

"Emmer had to watch you last night and she's seen you upset more times than I ever have," Drysi said, standing in the walkway between the bedroom and the main room of the pod. Her arms were crossed as she leaned against the wall.

Kaiana wrapped her arms around the fern hound's neck and held her close. "I'm sorry sweetie. Don't worry. Drysi and I are going to see someone who can help."

Emmer huffed in approval with this. She sighed as her master let her go.

"Let's go," Kaiana said, standing up. Drysi nodded and Emmer narrowed her eyes at them. Stubbornly she stood and took her place at her master's heel. Kaiana smirked and petted the hound's head. "Fine, you can come as well."

The hound nodded her head.

Drysi came into the main room and opened up the front door. "Kahedins is good at interpreting the meanings of Dreams. He should be able to help you."

"I trust you know what you're doing," Kaiana said as they walked through the Grove. The two had slept for a decent amount of time and it was almost noon.

"The Firstborn were the first of our people. They've been helping sylvari since the Secondborn. I'm hoping that they can help. If not, I don't know what to do." Drysi looked down at the ground. She was fighting with herself. "No. I must be strong."

"I thought that I was the one we were doing this for," Kaiana said, smiling softly to her.

Drysi lifted an eyebrow and smiled back at her. "I'm sorry Kai."

Neither of them said much until they made their way to the Garden of Dusk, an area where most Dusk blooms came for lessons. Kaiana herself was born in the Cycle of Dusk, though she showed few of the traits that the rest of her Cycle expressed. Kaiana was reserved and quiet enough to be mistaken for a Night bloom, though her inability to stay still for very long was a trait that was common among those from the Cycle of Noon.

"Taiscelai," Drysi started to get the Gardener's attention. She was with a group of newly awakened sylvari. The older sylvari looked up and greeted the girls with a kind smile. She excused herself from the group and stepped over to them.

"Drysi and Kaiana. I haven't seen the two of you here in a while. Is there something I can help you two with?" she asked.

"Do you know where Kahedins is?" Kaiana asked. "We need to speak with him."

"He left home earlier today, but I'm not sure where to. Might I be of assistance?"

"Kaia's Dream has become more of a Nightmare," Drysi answered. Taiscelai's eyes grew wide, the same look that Drysi had given Kaiana when she told her. Her friend took hold of her hand. Her head was held low and her eyes were closed. Drysi tightened her grip slightly before relaxing again. "We're hoping he can help her."

"He may not be at home, but he's been spending more time with the other Firstborn recently. You might be able to find him if you try getting ahold of the others."

Kaiana looked up at her and smiled. She nodded her head and said, "Thank you Taiscelai."

The Gardener smiled in return, though the look in her eyes showed that she was still unsure. It left Kaiana feeling rejected, unwanted. She held her tongue and swallowed.

_This is why. This is why I didn't want anyone to know._

"Come on Kaia," Drysi said, taking her hand and leading her away from the Garden.

"Did you see the look in her eyes?" Kaiana asked, her voice lowered so that only Drysi could hear. "We all act as if we accept each other freely, but there's evil in everyone. The only thing keeping us from Nightmare is that we control it."

"I'm sorry about all of this Kaia," Drysi said, drifting off the path. Kaiana followed her and the two stood under the ramp that led to the next level. "I hate seeing you like this, but I promise I will try to find a way to help you."

She smiled up at the golden sylvari. "Thank you. For everything."

Drysi nodded. "Come on. I know where Malomedies lives. Let's see what we can find."

Kaiana followed closely behind with Emmer on her heels. Soon they reached a larger pod. It was bigger than most and it was obvious someone important lived inside. Drysi had the honors of knocking on the large doors. Kahedins was the one that opened the door. Drysi's eyes lit up brightly.

"Firstborn we've been looking for you," she said excitedly. "Kaia, she…"

"Slow down sapling," he said kindly. "The other Firstborn are here. They're talking to Dagonet."

"He's back in the Grove?" Kaiana asked, her tone confused. Dagonet had been spending much of his time in Divinity's Reach, which puzzled Kaiana. It was a human city, and she didn't understand what he could learn from being around them.

The Firstborn smiled kindly. "Yes, he is."

"Even better!" Drysi exclaimed, surprising everyone around her. "He's studied the Dreams of sylvari and that's exactly what we need."

Kahedins appeared lost, her suddenly fast paced speech confusing even Kaiana. The golden sylvari took a breath to relax and tried again.

"There are aspects of Kaia's Dream that are haunting her," she said slowly to make sure she wasn't losing them again. "We're hoping that if she learned what her Dream meant then it she'd be able to handle it." Drysi held her tongue for a moment, a look of melancholy coming over her. "Please Firstborn. Last night I found her in her home on the floor. She was crying and could hardly move. It's her Dream that's doing this to her and I can't bear to see her like that again. We wanted to come to you because you're of the Cycle of Dusk, same as Kai."

He looked at the two girls for a moment, taking in the desperate expressions he was faced with. He could sense the smaller girl's pain and he sighed. "Okay, come on in. I will speak with the others. They may be able to offer some insight towards this situation."

The two smiled before coming in. Emmer glanced around, staying close to her master. Kaiana brushed her hands over the hound's head as a way of comforting her.

They stayed in the doorway until Kahedins returned. "You can come in now. We were finishing personal matters."

"Who else is here?" Kaiana asked.

"Most of the Firstborn no longer reside in the Grove. It's me, Malomedies, Aife, Niamh, and now Dagonet. Come on over. There might be something we can do."

The girls were hesitant in following the Firstborn. Kahedins smiled kindly at them before turning and entering the opposite room. The others were either standing of sitting on stools. They looked up at their new guests.

"Who are these two?" Aife asked. Emmer narrowed her eyes at the sylvari, surprising her. "Uh… three?" The hound's gaze relaxed and she resumed guarding her master.

"My name is Kaiana," she said, introducing herself. She gestured to the girl beside her. "This is Drysi…" The golden sylvari smiled and waved a simple 'hello'. Kaiana petted back the leaves on her hound's head. "… and this is Emmer."

Kahedins looked at them and gestured towards the empty seats. He spoke as they sat. "Can you explain what's been going on? I heard your friend's side, but we must know what's wrong in order to help."

Kaiana nodded. "It's about my Dream. There wasn't much other than shadows, but I saw five faces. They were faded, like an old painting. Except for Drysi. Her face was clear as day and when we first met I knew that she was important to me. That was almost three months ago, a couple days after my awakening. Not long after the other faces began to take over my thoughts. Some nights I wake up from nightmares but I feel like I'm still asleep. The faces have been haunting me and I want to find a way to make it stop."

"Kaiana, our Dreams are what give us purpose," Niamh said. Her eyes had widened slightly. "You can't just 'make it stop'."

"So far my Dream has given me pain and fear. Where's the purpose in that!?" Her hands gripped the leaves of her leggings. Drysi moved the seat closer to her and put an arm around her friend's shoulders, a gesture she knew would make her feel better. They stayed like that until Kaiana cooled off and then returned to their original positions. "I don't want to fall into Nightmare, and I don't want to become Soundless. I love being connected to the Dream, but mine is giving me and the ones I care about problems. What can I do to stop the hurt?"

"You'll have to leave the Grove," Dagonet said. All eyes turned to the Firstborn that had answered her.

"Leave…" she whispered softly. The word itself sounded painful as she heard herself say it out loud.

"Yes. It seems to me that you Dreamt of the people that would be important to you," he said. He gestured to the girl sitting next to her. "Drysi is an example. If you hadn't Dreamt of her who knows how the two of you would act towards one another. The owners of the other faces are not in the Grove. If you want to stop having nightmares, then I'm afraid that you'll have to leave and find these people."

"The Grove is my home!" she exclaimed, standing up. The Firstborn remained calm as Drysi tugged of the leafy sleeve of Kaiana's top to get her to sit. Her hand was slapped away. "I've never been outside the Caledon, and I've never met anyone that wasn't sylvari except for the Lionguards at the Havens! I'm supposed to go out into the world to find a group of strangers!? That doesn't make sense! This isn't even a Wyld Hunt!"

"Are you so sure?" Malomedies said, his voice cutting her off from more rambling. "At first glance it seems like a nightmare, but if you think about it maybe this is its way of calling you."

A vision of a shadow swept across her line of sight, reminding her of the rest of her Dream. "Then what about the shadows? In my Dream shadows swallowed up everything in their path. What is that supposed to signify?"

"Dreams are tricky things," Aife said. "As far as shadows go I have no idea, but at least we know now of how to lessen the effect of your nightmares."

There was a look of hurt in Kaiana's eyes and everyone in the room could sense what she was feeling, especially Drysi.

"This is the only way. Isn't it?" the small girl said quietly, staring down into her lap.

"I'm afraid so Sapling," Kahedins answered.

Kaiana breathed deeply as she thought over everything. "Fine," she said after a few moments. "Lion's Arch is the largest city in Tyria, so I'll take the Asura Gate to save time. Hopefully the people from my Dream will be there. If not then I'll work out what happens next eventually."

"You should go soon," Drysi said. Her words surprised Kaiana. "The day after next should suffice. It will give you time to pack and for us to say goodbye. And you won't be alone. You have Emmer." The hound rested her head on Kaiana's knees to prove her point.

_Why aren't you upset!?_ Kaiana wanted to scream. _I'm about to leave you and the only home I'm ever known for something ridiculous! _ Her breath caught in her throat and she could hardly keep herself from shouting. She swallowed to clear her throat and smoothed down the leaves on Emmer's head. _Why is the Dream so cruel? I find love only for it to be taken away from me._

"Okay," she said at last. "I suppose I should be heading home." She stood and looked up at the faces of those around her. "Thank you for speaking with us. It's appreciated."

They smiled softly at her. "It was no trouble," Kahedins said. "I'll show you to the door."

Kaiana nodded and Drysi stood up. Emmer stayed at her master's side as they were led outside.

"Good luck to you Kaiana," he said with a smile. "You will be missed."

She smiled back. "Thank you Firstborn. Take care."

He nodded and turned back into the house, the door closing behind him.

With a sigh, she clicked her tongue to get Emmer's attention. The hound looked up and met her master's gaze. Her tail wagged for a few short seconds before she followed Kaiana to their home. Drysi continued to walk with them until they got inside.

"I'm sorry about all of this Kaia," she said. "I never wanted you to leave. I was just trying to help and…"

"Drysi," Kaiana said, cutting her off. She turned around to look at her and saw that her green eyes were full of mixed emotions. "Stop talking."

"Kai…"

"Hush," she said, holding a hand up to silence her.

Drysi stared at the hand in her face and furrowed her brows. "Kaia…"

"Hush!" Kaiana dropped her hand and stepped to the opposite side of the room to grab her quiver and bow. "Come on. I want to go to the falls once more before I leave."

The golden sylvari finally understood. "Should I get my bow?"

Kaiana shook her head. "No, I don't want to waste time. Come on."

Taking hold of Drysi's hand, the two left the Grove and set off with Emmer close behind them. The sun was still high enough in the sky that no one bothered to come after them.

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes after reaching their spot next to the falls. They sat next to each other, while Emmer curled up into a ball, enjoying the last comfortable nap she'd be getting for a while.

"I don't want you to go Kaia," Drysi said, breaking the silence. "But if it's the only way…" She trailed off.

Kaiana rested her head on the taller girl's shoulder. "I don't want to go either. I just can't stand any more nights like last."

"I know, but still…"

"Let's stop talking about this," Kaiana suggested. She adjusted her sitting position so that she was in front of Drysi. Leaning forward she wrapped her arms around Drysi's neck, kissing her full on the lips to make sure she didn't continue talking. The golden sylvari closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's torso, bringing her closer. Several more sweet kisses followed the first until Kaiana pulled back to catch her breath. She smiled at the girl in front of her and nuzzled into her neck.

Drysi's hold on her got tighter as she hugged her closer to her. "I love you Kaia," Drysi whispered into her ear, sending shivers down the girl's spine.

She smiled and pulled back to look Drysi in the eyes. Jade green orbs met with bright silver as she spoke. "I love you too. And I want you to make me a promise."

"Of course dear heart," Drysi said, her brows furrowing slightly. "What is it?"

Kaiana held her gaze as she spoke. "Promise that you'll wait for me. Even if it takes me months or years, wait for me."

Drysi let go of Kaiana's torso and brought her hands up her face, cradling her pale cheeks in her palms. She kissed her firmly on the lips again. When she pulled back she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's torso said, "I promise. I'll be here waiting for you to return. We're supposed to be together."

Kaiana smiled sweetly and brushed aside golden leaves from Drysi's face. "Thank you," she whispered. Drysi returned the smile and lied back on the ground, pulling Kaiana on top of her and holding her there. The kisses commenced and sent a rush of sadness through the two; neither of them wanted these blissful moments to end.


	5. Nothing But Trouble

**A/N: Welcome to chapter five! Today we move on to individuals four and five, and we complete the introductory portion of this story (/cheer) Once again please leave any feedback you might have about this. Thank you :)**

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**_Nothing But Trouble_**

They were stuck. Again.

"If you hadn't been messing with the Icebrood, we wouldn't be in this mess," the male norn, Olaf, complained as he leaned against the wall of the dark cave. He directed an irritated growl towards his dark haired friend.

"It's not my fault the entrance caved in!" Yelena shot back. She pointed her staff at him and narrowed her dark-as-midnight blue eyes at her childhood friend. A small ball of flame hovered above his head. "One more word about this and you're toast."

Olaf put his hands up in surrender and the flame disappeared. "Why don't you focus some of that anger on the rockslide behind you? Maybe your magic could be good for something after all."

"I haven't done any earth magic yet," she said, her grip on the staff strengthening. The soft glow of magic that circled about in the staff head was the only source of light the two had.

"Well, now's a good chance to try," he said.

Yelena growled at him. "Instead of risking our lives, how about you do something. You're always bragging about how you're the strongest warrior in the village. Take that war hammer of yours and break it down. Unless you're too weak to break a couple of rocks."

"Hey!" he shouted, his own eyes narrowing. He pushed off the wall and stood beside her. He was tall, even for a norn, and he towered over her by at least a foot. His brown eyes bore into hers as he spoke. "I've got a better idea. I'll break apart the rocks and you can make them float to the side so they won't get in the way."

"But…"

"I knew you'd agree!" He flashed a wide, joking grin and pulled the hammer off of his back. "Come on Lena, let's get out of here!" He lifted the hammer high above his head and smashed it back down, successfully breaking one of the rocks into smaller pieces.

Yelena stared as the broken pebbles fell down to the ground. She smirked and pointed her staff down at the rock. With her free hand she drew a symbol in the air and the rocks began to float. She mumbled a spell and swept her hand around her, moving the rocks so that they were behind Olaf.

"There we go!" Olaf said, bringing the hammer down on the rocks once again. They continued the pattern until they could see through the wall. "Yelena! We did it!" he cheered. His smile only grew as she stepped forward and brought her hands together. She chanted an incantation and the rocks crumbled into sand.

"It worked!" she said, amazed with herself.

Olaf's smile turned into a frown and he furrowed his brows at his friend. "Why didn't you do that before?"

"I didn't know that I could," she said plainly. He glared at Yelena as she stepped out of the cave. "Come on Oaf. Let's get back to the village."

"We've known each other for years. My name is Olaf," he said as he followed her out.

"I know what I said."

He opened his mouth to say something, but shook his head instead. "Yelena, you're nothing but trouble."

Snow crunched under her boots as she made her way up a hill. She smiled as she spoke. "You say trouble, I say fun."

"Yeah. _Loads_ of fun," said Olaf, his words dripping with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes. "I just _love_ following you around while you test your spells on dragon minions."

Yelena lifted an eyebrow at his reaction. "If you didn't like being around, then you wouldn't insist on coming with me whenever I leave the village."

"I'm here to make sure nothing bad happens."

She glanced at him and smirked. "You're sweet Olaf, but I can take care of myself. Now come on. You're folks are probably waiting for us. We were gone longer than usual."

"No thanks to you," he commented. "You're lucky that those Icebrood left us alone once the cave entrance caved in. Probably think we're still in there."

She narrowed her eyes at him and wacked the back of his head with her staff. He cried out in pain as she yelled at him. "Shut up! You're going to jinx us if you say things like that!"

"You act like you have Raven's wisdom, but your too gullible for your own good," retorted Olaf. He rubbed where she'd hit him and smirked. "The only thing that'll draw them to us is your big mouth."

Yelena growled at this. "You little…"

A high pitched scream cut off her insult, the sound echoing off of the mountains.

"What was that?" Olaf thought out loud, his grip on the war hammer tightening.

"I don't know." The glow in the staff head returned as magic energy surged throughout Yelena. "Let's go find out." She looked around and thought back to the echoes, putting her natural skills as a hunter to good use. She pointed to the west and said, "It came from over there, not too far away." Yelena started running in the direction she'd pointed to, Olaf on her heels as he ran alongside her.

Another scream sounded, louder than the first. They were getting closer. The two of them reached the top of a hill and discovered what had made the screams.

At the bottom of the hill was a group of Icebrood surrounding something. Neither of them knew what it was and ventured closer to find out.

There was a flash of blue magic and the Icebrood were thrown backwards. Yelena couldn't tell what it was that had done it, but she recognized the form; it was a Guardian.

She lifted her hands into the air and produced a ball of elemental fire. She directed the flames towards the enemy and the Icebrood were set alight. They weren't dead however. The corrupted creatures were now focused on her and they started up the hill towards her and Olaf. The giant norn rushed forwards with his war hammer and swung into them. Two of the attackers shattered. Eyes narrowing, Yelena drew a symbol in the air. The snow around her came up and surrounded the monsters. With a simple incantation she melted the snow into water before it froze around the Icebrood, preventing them from moving. Olaf swung the hammer into the blocks of ice and they shattered into small fragments.

"Yeah!" Olaf cheered. "That wasn't too hard. Nice job freezing them."

Yelena smirked at the compliment. "Nice job with that hammer of yours. I guess you are stronger than you look. Now enough talking. I want to know what they were attacking."

Her friend nodded in agreement and the two slid down the now bare ground. At the foot of a hill was a sword no longer then her arm. She picked it up and looked it over. The blade was small but sturdy.

_Where's that Guardian?_ she thought, brows furrowing. She glanced around the area and caught sight of something shining amongst the rest of the snow. She stepped closer and saw armor glimmering in the sunlight. She got on her knees and her eyes grew wide; it was an asura. His armor was broken in several places and blood was coming through the cracks. His eyes were closed but his chest was moving slightly. He was alive, but he wouldn't be for long.

"Olaf! I found what they were after!" she called. Her hands pawed at the ground to move away the snow that had piled up on him. She picked up him and held him in her arms like a young child. "Olaf!"

"I'm right here," he said, coming from her left. "What is it?"

She held the asura towards him. "We have to take him with us. He'll die if we don't help."

Her friend nodded. "Agreed. Come on. We'll have to hurry."

Olaf took the small sword and placed it on his belt, and Yelena tucked the staff under her arm as she cradled the injured asura in her arms. She muttered a spell that would quicken their pace and they ran as fast as they could back to the village of Cragstead.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

It took three days for the asura to wake up. During that time Yelena used water magic to heal his wounds. Each day she would practice her spells on the sleeping creature and his injuries would heal ever-so-slightly. The local blacksmith repaired the armor and the sword so he didn't have to wait when he finally awoke.

Late that afternoon Yelena heard movement from the opposite edge of her home. She turned around and saw the asura sit up in the bed.

"You're finally awake," she commented.

The asura blinked the sleep from his large eyes and they adjusted to the light. "Where am I?"

"You're in Cragstead," she answered, standing from where she sat at her table and moving closer to him. "It's not too far from Hoelbrak if you were wondering."

"How did I get here? Last I remember…"

"You were fighting off the Icebrood," Yelena finished for him. He blinked and nodded. She continued. "You were badly injured so my friend and I took you back to our village for healing."

The asura nodded. "Thank you…"

"Yelena," she supplied. "Yelena Rowenkin."

He nodded again. "Thank you Yelena. I'm Tonka."

The norn smirked at the name. The other races' names always sounded incredibly odd to her. "Nice to meet you. I had the local blacksmith fix your armor. It's over on the table."

Tonka looked over at the table and then down at himself. It finally dawned on him that he was wearing only the cloth clothes he'd been wearing underneath his armor. "Thank you for that as well." He got up and walked over to the table. He put his armor on while Yelena asked him questions.

"Why were you out in the Shiverpeaks alone?" she asked him. "These mountains are covered in Icebrood and we're pretty close to Dragon territory."

He sighed. "You might say that I'm an outcast among the asura. Though now that I think about it the term 'in exile' is more fitting."

Yelena furrowed her brows. "What do you mean by that?"

He chuckled nervously. His hand reached up and scratched a spot behind the floppy ears that nearly touched his shoulders. "Well, uh…" he started, trying to figure out what he was going to say. "You see… I've never been quite that intelligent, at least by asuran standards. Everything I've invented has ended in utter disaster. The Arcane Council is the main system of government in Rata Sum, and recently they declared that my presence in the city would be far too hazardous to the other civilians' wellbeing for me to be welcome. Hmph. They have an Inquest lab inside the city and they say _I'm_ hazardous. Hah!"

"How does that lead to you getting stuck in the mountains?" she asked, ignoring that he had trailed off topic.

"It does seem strange yes, but I never intended to get so far away from my target destination. I got lost after leaving the jungle. There were Inquest, centaurs, bandits, and even pirates that repeatedly interfered with my journey on the path I was planning on taking. Eventually I ended up in the mountains. I got caught in a blizzard and had to find shelter. I was stuck in a cave and the front entrance sealed up with snow. I had to fight my way through Dredge tunnels and I eventually came out near where you found me. I knew I was in the Shiverpeaks, so I tried to find a settlement. Unfortunately for me, my skills are lacking when it comes to fighting several frozen monsters that are more than thrice my size." He strapped on the final piece of armor and placed the sword in the sheath on his belt.

"Where are you headed?" asked Yelena.

"Lion's Arch," he answered. "Everyone is making their way to that city nowadays it seems. We're all looking for a place to belong, so we go to a city filled to the brim with other outcasts."

Her eyes sparkled with interest. "Will you take me with you?"

Tonka stared at her in confusion. "Why would I do that?"

"For protection," she said plainly. He narrowed his eyes at her, as if insulted by the offer. "You may be a Guardian, but you won't survive the trip to Lion's Arch from here. You could barely handle a couple Icebrood. You're just lucky it wasn't the Sons of Svanir. They may be under the Dragon's control, but they have their own minds. They aren't like the Icebrood. The Dragon's corruption takes complete hold of the living and turns them into nothing more than magic and ice. The Sons can turn your attacks against you if you're not careful. I've been exploring these mountains since I was your size. I know where to avoid and what paths are safe."

The asura was quiet for a moment as he thought about his. "You do make a valid point… However I still don't feel that bringing you along will be necessary."

Yelena narrowed her eyes at him. "I guess you forgot about how I've already saved your skin once. Well you're in the Shiverpeaks now, so let's settle this like norn! If you can beat me in a fight, then I'll stop asking and you can go on your way. If I win, then you have to take me with you to Lion's Arch."

"Why do you want to go to Lion's Arch in the first place? Don't you have a family here?" Tonka asked.

The question caused her heart to skip a beat. "The Molten Alliance ravaged our village three years ago," Yelena explained. "Dredge and Flame Legion charr. They burned this place almost to the ground. I was one of the survivors. My family died during the attack."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

She waved him off. "They're remembered in song as the people that fought and died bravely for their home. That's all a norn could ask for. I want to make my own legend, and I've done all I can in this village."

"What about your friend?" Tonka questioned. "You said you and a friend found me."

"Olaf is happier here than anyone else. He's got his family and his other friends." She brushed back a lock of her dark brown hair and folded her arms over her chest. "Now. Are you going to accept my challenge or not?"

"Are you kidding me? An asura versus a norn?"

"Yeah!" she cheered, a grin stretching across her face. "Come on, it'll be fun! If you want I'll even go easy on you."

Tonka's eyes narrowed. "If you intentionally throw the fight then I would feel as if the victory was not earned. You would make yourself look weak, as well as forfeit the challenge you offered to me. Why would you do that?"

"Okay. Then I use all of my power against you and you use all of yours against me! That should be fair. Guardians are supposed to be the strongest, aren't they? Even small like you, you should be able to take me down easily, right?"

He was glaring at her at this point. Asura and norn had two things in common: hatred towards being called weak, and admitting their faults. What little Yelena had learned about asura came from the occasional travelers and Pact soldiers that were heading north to study dragon territory.

Eventually he huffed in defeat. "I will consider your offer and come to a conclusion after my injuries have healed."

Yelena's brows furrowed in confusion. "You're a Guardian, couldn't you just heal yourself?"

His ears seemed to droop like a dog's as he sighed. "My magic happens to be even more limited than my abilities in combat. I never had a proper trainer to teach me, so most of what I know about combat was learned during fights against other people's failed experiments."

She raised an eyebrow. "So on top of being unable to fight off Icebrood and Sons of Svanir, you also can't use magic?"

"Yes, yes," he said, exasperated. "I've already explained this. Are you really that incompetent?"

The norn narrowed her eyes at him, but then closed them to focus. She brought her hands in front of her and slowly uttered an enchantment. Tonka stared at her while she did so.

"What are you…?"

Yelena opened her eyes and extended her palms in front of her. A bright light flashed across the room and Tonka screamed. She smirked sadistically as the jolt of energy ran from her hands and into the asura. When the light dimmed she could see Tonka lying on the floor, moaning. Scents of burning metal filled the room.

The asura slowly pushed himself up before cradling his round head with a hand. He stared up at her in utter disbelief. "What in the Eternal Alchemy is wrong with you!?" he questioned. He would've sounded threatening had it not been for the fact that he looked so helpless.

"That is what happens when people piss me off. Now you know better," she said bluntly. She stepped around him and to the opposite end of the one roomed cabin to retrieve her staff.

His mouth fell open slightly at her. "Are you crazy?" He pushed himself all the way up and continued to stare. "You could've killed me!"

"A shock like that couldn't down a baby dolyak," she protested, leaning against the hardwood shaft of her weapon. "You'll feel tingly for a little while, but otherwise you're fine."

His ears drooped again and he went speechless.

"Lena!" a loud voice called from outside. Yelena automatically recognized it as her friend.

"What is it Olaf!?" she called back.

The door to the cabin opened and he walked in. His brows furrowed when he saw the expression on Tonka's face. His gaze then traveled over to Yelena, who was casually standing across from him with her staff in hand.

"The little guy pissed you off, didn't he?" he asked. The asura's armor was scorched in some spots, and even the skin on his ears was blackened like burnt meat.

"Yup," she answered proudly, a smug smile on her face.

Olaf sighed and shook his head. "You really are nothing but trouble." The smile on her face didn't falter as he stepped further into the cabin. He looked down at the asura. "Good to see you're finally awake. Lena was afraid you wouldn't wake up after we got you here."

"Ah! You're the friend that she mentioned. I'm grateful to the two of you for saving my life. My name is Tonka."

"I'm Olaf Fjordsson, strongest warrior in Cragstead," he boasted, holding out a large hand to Tonka. The asura's hand was swallowed up in the large skin of Olaf's as he shook it. "And I don't deserve the gratitude. Lena is the one that tracked you down and healed you. I just helped her fight off the Icebrood."

Tonka nodded. "Would you please direct me to a vendor? The last of my rations were lost after that fight."

"There're a couple down near the tavern," Olaf said, stepping out of the cabin to direct him towards the stands. The asura nodded a 'thank you' to the norn and left the cabin.

Yelena felt somewhat relieved as Tonka left her cabin. "He may be infuriating, but the little guy could be my excuse for leaving."

Olaf raised an eyebrow. "Leaving? Lena, where are you going?"

"If I can get him to fight me and I win, then I'm going to Lion's Arch."

"Lion's Arch!" His eyes grew wide and Yelena was surprised with his sudden outburst. "Why would you go there!?"

"Olaf, I realized something three years ago when Cragstead was attacked; my story isn't here in the village, it's beyond those gates with the rest of the world."

The taller norn closed his eyes, conflicting emotions inside him warring with one another. Every norn's greatest fear was to have their story be forgotten. If Yelena didn't feel her story was in Cragstead, then he shouldn't stop her. But she was his best friend and had been since they were young children.

After a few moments of thinking, he nodded. "I understand. But what are you doing to get him to take you with him?"

"I told him we'd settle this the norn way; with a fight. I challenged him and he said he'd make up his mind once he's healed."

Olaf's brows furrowed. "I thought you healed him?"

"I did, but now that he's awake there's not much I can do. Probably won't let me heal him."

"He can heal himself. Isn't he a Guardian?"

"He is, but he can't use a lot of magic. The little guy can't defend himself against anything bigger than a house pet and he can't heal himself. Strangest Guardian ever."

Olaf raised an eyebrow. "He'd be better off as an engineer like most asura if that's the case."

Yelena shrugged. "I think it's amusing. On the bright-side for me, if he agrees to my challenge, then after couple blasts of energy he'll have to agree to my conditions. I hope he's the type that will never admit defeat."

"He'll probably agree." Olaf clapped Yelena on the back of her shoulder. "Lena, I have a feeling your story will be one of the greatest."

She rolled her eyes. "Lucky you. You get to be the best friend of the 'legendary' Yelena Rowenkin."

"Sounds good to me," he said with a wide grin. "Now come on. My old man brought in some fresh dolyak. It's been sitting on the fire for a while, so it should be ready to go."

"Sounds good," she echoed. Brushing her hair from her eyes, she smiled and followed him out of her cabin. She'd deal with Tonka later.


	6. Past, Present, and Eventually

**A/N: Hi! I haven't updated in a bit, so here's another chapter. I've been working on backstories for this lot, and a couple of them are on my deviantART page. I currently have up Yelena and Ash's backstories. They're not necessary to read, but they're there if you interested. Kaiana's story has a lot to it and will be posted in multiple parts once I'm done. ****I'm ~Hopeless-Alchemist over there if you're curious. **

**In other words, this chapter once again focusses on Veros and Ash. You'll learn a little about our charr friend's past in this, and his backstory will be posted fairly soon. It'll come up during this fanfic, so it's optional as always.**

* * *

_**Past, Present, and Eventually**_

The mouse had returned to the battle pits, and the crowd was cheering as she blocked attacks and used her opponent's weaknesses against them. It was as if she'd never left.

While standing in the same spot as before, Veros learned that the little girl's name was Ash. It confused him at first, but with every attack she took towards her opponents he eventually associated her name with the spies of the Ash Legion. She could vanish in an instant and reappear with a devastating attack, similar to the way Ash Trash charr were trained. Veros no longer did work for the High Legions, but the Blood Legion training had caused him to have a fierce hatred towards the techniques used by Thieves and spies.

The mouse was in the pits with another human. He also wielded light blades and seemed as skilled as her. Chimes rang out from the blades colliding with one another as Ash blocked the attacks. It was quickly evident that he was not trying to attack her; he only wanted to wear her down until she could no longer move.

His plan didn't work. It was obvious she'd grown up fighting for her life and with every attack this strategy back fired. He'd put so much power into the fight that after about ten minutes he was ready to collapse. Ash helped with this. She dropped her blades and punched him in the stomach, causing him to double over. With a sadistic smirk, she kicked him in the groin and watched as he collapsed on the ground. The man moaned in pain and his face paled significantly.

"Give up yet Cain?" she asked him.

He glared up at her, but there was a smile on his face. "Fine," he surrendered, slowly pushing himself up. She extended a hand out to him and he clasped his hand around her wrist, Ash doing the same to him. She heaved him up to his feet and he groaned in pain.

Ash clapped him on the back. "Now that you know how I fight, do you still think I should join a team?"

"Yes," he said, his voice still weak. "If I've learned anything it's that there's strength in numbers."

The mouse frowned at him. She shoved him to the edge of the pit. "I'll buy you a drink to take your mind off of your broken parts once I'm out of here."

"You've got a deal Ashlyn," he said as he went to stand with the crowd.

Veros frowned when he heard her full name. It sounded so… Human. Which made sense, but even after the months he'd been in Lion's Arch he wasn't used to the different names of the other races just yet.

"Who's next!?" she yelled out to the announcer.

Like usual the announcer turned to the asura, who then in turn called the next name on the board. "Veros Rightmaker!"

The charr frowned when his name was called.

"You're up old friend," Elex said from behind him.

All four of his ears twitched when he heard her. The white-coated charr stood behind him with a smirk on her face.

"Are you the one that put my name up there?" he asked, dark eyes narrowed at her.

"Who else would've noticed you standing here? For Blood Legion you sure are quiet. Everything okay?"

"Shut up Elex," he growled. "Why would you set me up in a fight against that girl? She may be a mouse but she fights like Ash Legion."

"Exactly," she said. "You're sire was Ash Trash, wasn't he? I assumed you'd have some of that in you."

Within an instant Veros had pulled a sword from his belt, holding it up to Elex's throat. "The next time you bring him up, you're losing another ear."

Elex glared at him, her remaining three and a half ears flickering in annoyance. Veros's sire was a sensitive topic to talk about when he was, and when they worked together she'd picked on him once about being related to Ash Legion. He'd snapped automatically and sliced one of her ears in half while they were on the job, earning them both scrap duty for a month. They got along much better afterwards.

"Okay, sorry," said Elex, holding her hands up in surrender. She pushed the sword away from her neck with a clawed finger. "You'd better go on up. Unless you're afraid of that mouse?"

Veros growled. "Beating you isn't that big of an achievement, so what do I have to be afraid of?"

"You're asking for it Ver. Now hurry up! I bet fifty silver thinking that you'll win. Don't disappoint me."

He rolled his eyes and made his way to the pit. The little human looked up at him, her eyes moving back and forth as she judged whatever weak points he had. He looked down his muzzle at the girl. Her small stature allowed her to be agile and quick. She had the scars of a human that had grown up as a street rat, and she would use every tool at her disposal.

Veros was a charr and he'd been trained since he was a young cub for fighting. He'd been brought up Blood Legion and was skilled when it came to fighting with swords. He'd been in constant combat up until he left, and he knew how the human would attack. She'd wait for him to make a move, block his attacks and wait for an opening. All he had to do was not give her that opening.

"Fighters!" the announcer yelled out so the crowd could hear. "Are you ready!?"

The tiger striped charr pulled out his swords and the small human pulled her blades from her belt. Veros eyed her boots, knowing she was possibly hiding a third.

"Yes," they both answered, meeting each other's gaze.

"You know the rules. Now fight!" The announcer quickly back up and out of the ring.

Veros went in with the first attack. He directed his sword straight for her chest and lunged. She evaded backwards and blocked his second attack with one of her daggers. Her eyes narrowed at him. She must have found an opening because she lunged forward with an attack of her own. Veros blocked it with his swords and soon was swinging away; blocking her attacks as well as cutting into her each time she tried to get close. The human swore under her breath and vanished. Veros narrowed his eyes where she'd been standing. Foot prints appeared in the sand and he turned on his heel. He struck where the freshest footprints were and blood spilled onto the ground.

The stealth magic broke and the human kneeled on one knee, clutching her torso. She'd dropped one of her daggers to do so and her hand came away bloodied. The crowd gasped when they realized what had happened. He'd only just hit caught her side and he cursed himself for barely hitting his target.

Ash ignored her injuries and continued to fight, turning her blade around so it was like a small sword instead of a dagger. Veros raised a fur covered brow at her sudden change in technique. She pulled the third dagger from her boot and began swinging, only halfway blocking the whirlwind of swords that was coming at her. With each movement Veros made he cut into her, drawing blood that dropped down into the sand beneath them. The crowd was spilt between who to cheer for. On one side they cheered on Ash, while on the other side they were cheering for Veros. The charr scowled, not enjoying the attention as much as the other fighters. He wanted to end the fight quickly and go back to standing on the other side of the walls.

Veros changed his attack and hit the girl at the base of her ribs with the end of the sword's hilt and she let of a choking sound. She doubled over and nearly went limp. He hit her in the chest so that she was standing off center. He held the blade to her throat and pressed hard enough that a trickle of blood ran down her neck.

"Give up mouse?" he growled.

The beat up little girl narrowed her eyes at him and seethed. "Yes. I give up."

He pulled the blade away and placed both his swords back on his belt. The little girl let out a shaky cough and fell to the ground in a heap. Veros exited the ring and walked over to Elex, who was waiting behind the crowd.

"There. Your bet's secured," he said. "Now explain why the hell you signed me up for that fight?"

"Because I knew you'd win," she said easily, folding her arms over her chest. "You were always the best fighter in your warband and I wanted to see if you still had it in you."

"I'm not going back," he said firmly. "I'm gladium now and I refuse to watch any more of my friends die for idiotic reasons."

"I understand and I'm not asking you to go back. I lost friends that day too you know," she said.

"If you're not here to bring me back then why did you come here?"

"Is it so strange for me to want to see an old friend?" She shook her head. "My warband doesn't have any current orders so we decided to take a break and come here. I noticed you the other day when I stepped into the ring. After they dragged me out and I could move again, I remembered what kind of fighter you were and got my revenge that way."

His ears tuned out everything she said after she mentioned that her warband was in the city. "Tycan, Lilick, and the others. They're in the city too?"

Elex furrowed her brows, something that only a charr could notice through her thick white fur. "Yeah they are. Somewhere that is. We split up and I haven't seen them since the day that kid poisoned me. That damn stuff should be against the rules." She let out a growl before returning to their conversation. "Why, do you want to catch up with them?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm just glad they're all still okay."

Elex smirked. "I'll be sure to give them your best when we finally regroup."

Veros nodded. "Thanks."

The crowd from the pits drifted. With their best fighter in a while down after her second day of fighting, they'd have to wait until she was in fighting shape again. Veros predicted that the crowd would be much smaller for almost a week until she returned.

* * *

Cain smirked at the girl he was drinking with. The scowl that on her face could scare children, if not for the fact her tiny figure was covered in bandages. He couldn't help but smile at her apparent weakness.

"So you lost. It was your second day fighting in the pits. Hardly anyone makes it through the first," he said, trying to cheer her up. "What's the big deal?"

Her brown eyes glared at his green. "I failed, Cain. I haven't been this beat up in years." She brought the mug up to her lips and tilted it back, the remnants of what had been inside vanishing. Setting it down on the table she continued. "Plus, the money I earn at those bets is what's paying for the roof over my head. I've got more than enough right now, but next time I could be out on the streets. The Lionguard aren't like Seraph. They're stronger, not to mention multiracial. A few humans I can take on without an issue. Try going up against a charr or a norn? I'll be dead before I'm in chains."

Ash watched with tired eyes as Cain pulled the mug away from her. It was her second drink and any fool could tell she was drunk. "I think that's more than enough for you tonight. You're sloshed," he said. She let out an irritated moan and slumped against the counter of the bar. Her irritation shifted into pain and she whimpered as her injuries pulled. "Since you got beat up worse than me, how about I pay for the drinks?"

She didn't say anything but nodded her head in agreement. "That's nice of you," she said eventually.

He sighed and shook his head. "Your fourth day in the city and you're already drinking like a local."

"I am a local," she argued, sitting up to look him in the eyes. "I was born here, but when Mel died they sent me away."

Cain furrowed his brows. "Who's Mel?"

"Melody. She was my sister and a Lionguard. One day the Haven she was working at was attacked by pirates. She died and I got sent away to live with non-existent relatives over in Divinity's Reach." Ash cracked her knuckles and rolled her wrists, her hands aching from the fight. "I came back because I had to make peace with her grave. Someone once told me that when I learn to let go, my story would be able to continue."

"Story? Sounds like that someone was a norn."

She shook her head. "No it wasn't a norn. My memory is fuzzy and that drink didn't help." She closed her eyes and moaned again. "Dwayna heal my aching body," she prayed, her head turned up towards the sky.

Shaking his head, Cain let out a sigh. "How 'bout we get you back to your inn you so can rest?"

"I can take care of myself," she said as she got off the stool, her gently swaying body and the slurring of her words only concerning Cain further.

"Not like this you can't." He stood up and put one of her bandaged arms around his neck, careful he didn't cause her any pain. "Come on Ash. Let's get you home."

She didn't have enough strength left in her to argue anymore. "Okay," she said lazily. Ash leaned against Cain as he helped her down the ramps.

"It's a good thing you're small," he thought out loud, gently putting an arm around her waist to keep her upright. He was careful to not press the spot where she'd been stabbed through by the charr. "Which inn are you staying at?"

Ash pointed towards the opposite end of the Trader's Forum. There was only one inn in this part of the city and it'd be easy for him to find out the room number from the innkeeper.

Luckily for them, despite the late hour there was still someone behind the front counter.

"What in the world…?" the norn woman behind the counter started, staring at the sight in front of her.

"Ash here's had a bit too much to drink," Cain explained.

The small girl he was supporting looked up. "Room 12," she directed. "Second floor."

As Cain started towards the stairs to help her up, Ash pulled away from his grasp and put a hand on the railing and leaned on it. She looked up at him with tired brown eyes. "Thank you for helping me, but I can take care of myself from here."

Her friend furrowed his brows, looking at her in disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off.

"Don't argue," she said. "I'll be fine. Just get home. Your sister is probably worrying about you."

Cain blinked at this, unsure how to react. He'd told her that he lived with his sister the day they first met in the bar, but he didn't think she'd have remembered.

"If you're certain…" he started.

"I am. Good night Cain. I'll see you 'round town." Ash gave him a sweet smile and held a hand out. He returned the gesture and gripped her wrist, her thin fingers holding his arm as they bid farewell to one another.

Once she was certain he'd left the building, Ash let out a sigh. Every inch of her from the torso up hurt from her fight with the charr, and she regretted sending Cain away once she was halfway up the stairs.

She worked on pulling her belt off as she walked down the hall. The buckle finally gave as she entered her room.

_Time for bed,_ she thought as she pulled off the leather coat. She groaned loudly as the injury to her side pulled. Once the coat was off she yanked out the spare dagger and flopped onto the bed, her arms holding her torso. She seethed while tears pinpricked the insides of her closed eyelids.

"Damn," she swore under her breath. Not opening her eyes, she kicked off her boots and listened as they fell to the floor. She shifted so that her head was resting on the cotton filled pillow and soon she was asleep.

_Your story is only just beginning, _a voice in the back of her mind said as she slept._ Soon the pieces will come together._


	7. The Adventure Begins

**A/N: Hi there, it's Hopeless. I've been focusing on backstories and stories for my GW2 characters for the last couple weeks, explaining why I haven't updated in quite some time. **

**So for this chapter we have Kaiana in the first half, and Yelena and Tonka in the second half. I hope you enjoy, and please comment. Constructive criticism welcome :)**

* * *

Drysi sat on a chair in Kaiana's pod, watching her finish packing. She didn't plan on taking much with her. The shoulder bag was to carry a couple books she'd been reading, as well as some coins. The only other things she needed were her clothes and her weapon. Her bow and quiver were sitting on the table and she was dressed already. All that came next was saying goodbye and leaving for Lion's Arch the next morning.

Emmer looked up at her master and whimpered. The small sylvari had closed her eyes and the hound feared that she was going to fall apart again.

Kaiana opened her eyes and met the hounds gaze. She kneeled down and held her close to her chest. "It's okay Em. I'm fine."

It was a lie. She was far from fine, but something inside her said to say otherwise. She knew that Drysi would eventually give her a disapproving look, reminiscent of the looks authority figures would give their followers, and then question why she kept it inside of her.

"Kaia," Drysi started. Kaiana turned around to face her. The expression on her face wasn't disapproving at all; it was sad. "I'm sorry."

A sullen smile made its way across her face as she let go of the hound, standing to sit on the chair next to her friend. "I told you to stop apologizing. It's not your fault that I'm leaving. I probably would have had to leave inevitably."

"I know, but if I hadn't taken you to the Firstborn then we might have gotten more time together." Drysi lowered her gaze to her hands, which had become fists. "I know that sound selfish, but I don't want you to leave."

Kaiana nodded. "I don't want to leave either." The other girl didn't respond. "It's getting late. Do you want to stay here tonight?"

Drysi nodded. "Yes," she answered.

"Then come on." Kaiana took hold of Drysi's hand and stood up. She touched the glowing plants that were lighting up the room, and they dimmed so that the room was dark enough for sleep.

The hound walked away to her corner as the two lied down on the hammock. It would possibly be her last night ever being in the safety of her master's pod. Emmer curled up into a ball and closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep within minutes.

In the other room the two sylvari couldn't sleep. They were both on their sides turned towards each other, faces less than an inch apart. For a long time they stayed that way, neither of them moving. Eventually Drysi relaxed; her breathing slowed and fell into a steady pattern. Kaiana's eyes adjusted to the low lighting and she stared in wonder at the other girl. Ever since they met she'd felt something more for her then just simple friendship. As time went on they became closer and closer, until it was almost unbearable to be apart from each other for long periods of time. But now Kaiana was leaving the Grove. Her home. The only home she'd really known. She couldn't imagine what was going through Drysi's mind, but it didn't seem to matter now.

Out of habit, she pushed the glowing gold leaves away from Drysi's face. The older girl stirred slightly before relaxing once more. Smiling, Kaiana closed the distance between them and kissed her. To her surprise the kiss was returned. When she pulled back she met her friend's gaze. Her mouth opened slightly to speak, but a second kiss cut her off.

"Go to sleep dear heart," Drysi whispered, closing her eyes. "I don't know if or when you'll return, so I want to spend this night together just as we are."

Kaiana smiled and inched closer to Drysi so that she could feel her warmth. She tucked one arm under her head like a pillow and held onto Drysi with the other. Closing her eyes, she managed to relax and fall asleep.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

The purple plasma in the Asura Gate floated around the metal circle, a hazy image of what was supposed to be Lion's Arch hiding behind it.

Kaiana stared at the Gate. She'd passed by it many times before, but had never seen it up close.

"It's… intimidating," she said, her eyes trying to focus on the image. The swirling plasma wouldn't let them. She swallowed, nervous about what she was doing.

Drysi stood beside her, holding her hand. The smaller girl's grip tightened slightly and she turned to face her friend.

"Just think of it this way," Drysi started. Kaiana lifted a brow in curiosity. "There won't be Courtiers in Lion's Arch."

She scoffed and looked back to the Gate, her eyes narrowed. "I can handle myself against Courtiers."

Emmer stared up at her master and the sylvari beside her. She huffed in annoyance and stepped behind Kaiana to nudge her towards the Gate. The fern hound was getting impatient and the look she gave the smaller sylvari showed it.

Kaiana huffed, mocking her hound, and kneeled down to her level. "We'll go through in a moment," she said, pressing her forehead against the hound's. Emmer seemed to glare at her as she stood up and returned to Drysi's side.

"You have to go Kaia," the golden sylvari told her.

She looked from the Gate to Drysi and sighed. "I know. I just don't want to say goodbye."

"It's not goodbye," Drysi said firmly, her jade green eyes looking into Kaiana's silver. "It's 'until we meet again'."

Smiling, Kaiana leaned forward and kissed her one last time. "Then until we meet again Drysi."

"I love you Kaia," the golden sylvari said, smiling back at her. "And I promise to wait for you until you return, whenever that day may be. I wish you good luck my brave Valiant."

_Valiant… _The title sounded foreign, as if it didn't belong to someone like her. Her Dream hadn't called to her, yet here she was. Part of her wished to speak with the Pale Tree, a last resort at understanding what she was getting into. But she was already in front of the Gate to Lion's Arch, and she couldn't turn back once she'd stepped through. Once she left, her Hunt would begin and she wouldn't be able to return until all was right.

She met Drysi's gaze one last time before turning around towards the Gate. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, her hand absentmindedly stroking Emmer's leafy ears in order to relax her nerves. Kaiana kept her eyes closed as she stepped through, the plasma feeling strangely cool as she went through it. The cool was quickly replaced with warmth.

When she emerged from the Gate, she didn't open her eyes. Instead she stood still and listened, taking in the area around her. Waves crashed against the shore of the city. Merchants were everywhere trying to sells goods to travelers and tourists. If she listened carefully, she could even hear a crowd cheering.

Emmer nudged her leg, causing her to open her eyes. They grew wide at the sight: massive buildings made from pirate ships, hundreds or perhaps thousands of people lining the streets. Races she'd never seen but had heard of in the Dream were present, standing around idly talking to others.

Kaiana stepped off of the platform and looked around. There was a sense of hope that came with the expansive scenery. Hope that she would find the owners of the faces.

* * *

Yelena stared intensely at Tonka. His gray-blue eyes nervously met her gaze, brows furrowed in confusion.

"What?" he asked, his tone becoming annoyed.

She continued to stare, silence filling the room.

"What are you looking at?"

One again, she said nothing and continued to stare. Her midnight blue eyes didn't move as she stood at the other side of the room, her staff in hand. The head of it glowed as magic flowed into it.

Tonka clenched his small fists and shouted, "Why are you looking at me like that!?"

She broke her concentration and met his angry gaze, her own eyes narrowing slightly. Golden-red light danced about her fingertips but quickly vanished. "I was thinking. You broke my concentration."

The asura visibly tensed. "Please don't zap me again."

Dark purple light started to float around in her hands, tiny sparks of lightning visible from where Tonka was standing. He cringed and closed his eyes in anticipation, but instead of lashing out, Yelena simply laughed.

"Hahaha!" she chortled, pushing one of her dark brown braids back over her shoulder. "You actually thought I was going to attack you!"

Tonka made an annoyed sound low in his throat that sounded almost like a growl. "Of course I thought that! You had that _look_ in your eyes and you've always got that staff with you. You'd have to be crazy to feel safe around you."

Yelena cocked her head to the side, her braids falling back in front of her as she did so. "Look? What are you going off about now?"

The little asura stared at her in disbelief for a moment before turning around. He mumbled something to himself and shook his head at her as he stepped to the side of the room.

There was a loud banging on the door as Olaf let himself into her cabin. "Hey Lena," he started.

"What is it Oaf?" she interrupted.

The name caused him to pause, but he simply glared at her instead of retorting about the insulting name. "There's a pack of Icebrood wolves getting close to the gates. Wanna help me kill those things?"

She grinned brightly and nodded. "Sure." Yelena turned to look at Tonka. "You wanna come along?"

The asura blinked and looked up at them with wide eyes, his brow lifting questioningly. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She slung a simple cloth cloak over her shoulders and tied the strings in a bow as she stepped to the entrance to her home. "If you're too weak to fight off a few dogs then feel free to stay here."

Tonka narrowed his eyes at her and huffed. "I'm coming with you."

Yelena smirked, knowing that her insult would work. He'd only been around for a couple days, yet already she and Tonka were growing to be comfortable being around one another, despite the fact they found each other infuriating.

She tossed the hood of her cloak over her head and exited the cabin, her companions following suit beside her.

"Why is your village so close to dragon lands anyway?" Tonka asked.

"Do you expect a real answer? Neither of us built it," Yelena said, gesturing for him and Olaf to come closer.

He opened his mouth for a moment, the expression on his face as if he wanted to say something, but he quickly closed it when he realized there was nothing to say.

The norn's facial expression hardened. The pack was close by. She could hear the heavy footsteps of the frozen wolves nearing them. Her eyes narrowed and she muttered a spell under her breath that neither of her companions understood. A small ball of flame formed in her hands. She tucked the staff under her arm and tested the tangibility of the ball. A smile tugged on the corners of her lips as she tossed the controlled magic from hand to hand.

"Hold onto your hoods, this should be an interesting experiment," Yelena said.

"Experiment?" Tonka inquired.

She nodded. "I believe in learning as you go." In a couple fluid motions, she took a step back and threw the ball over the hill. The three of them could hear yelps; the pitched sound that was of the corrupted hounds echoed off of the nearby mountains.

"Let's go!" Yelena called. She hurried up the steep hillside with Olaf following close behind. Tonka stood in a daze for a moment before drawing his sword and joining the norn.

There were three ice wolves, all of them burning with Yelena's magic. They began barking and lunge for the mage.

Yelena fought with the experience of someone who'd grown up fighting the Icebrood. She took her staff and stabbed the wolf in the side with it. After casting a quick spell, sparks swirled down the shaft and into the wolf. Violent spasms caused it to jolt about until it finally lost the last of its life.

The fight was over quickly. Olaf took down his wolf is a few easy hits with his war hammer, and Tonka had made quick work of his, breaking the frozen monster's neck with two attacks of his sword.

"I thought you said there was a pack of these things," she complained as she struggled to remove her staff. Frustration building, she held out her hands and began chanting. The wolf's body began to melt, and as it did so she managed to pry her weapon from the creature's gut.

"There was," Olaf defended. "They must've run off."

Yelena raised an eyebrow as he spoke, her attention focused on the end of her staff. She checked it over for any signs of damage before deciding it was fine. "Hmph. If only there was more to hunt than frozen animals. You can't even eat them after they're corrupted; they just sit here until they either melt or get buried under the snow."

"That's what farming is for," Tonka said.

The norn huffed. "It's not as much fun to just kill an animal you've raised. The hunting is the fun part. Tracking and becoming one with nature is the most fun I've ever had. Ever since my folks took me out west for my first real hunt I've been longing to go out again."

"Then go," Olaf said as they began to turn back. "Cragstead isn't going anywhere."

"It's not a good idea to go hunting alone and you work with the guard to make sure the village is safe." She shrugged and said, "Oh well, I'll be gone soon enough."

Tonka looked at her curiously, but said nothing.

Yelena looked back down at her and stopped walking, suddenly noticing that while she was used to the depth of the snow their asura companion was almost waist deep in snow. She kneeled and nodded. "Come on," she said. "I'll carry you. Once that snow melts you're gonna wish you didn't wear armor out in the snow."

He was hesitant at firs but eventually gave and climbed up onto her shoulder, sitting comfortably on his newfound perch. He was easy to carry due to his small size and her broad shoulders.

"So this is what it's like to look down on everyone," he thought out loud. The norn laughed at this and smiled.

"Don't get too used to it," she said as she started forward. "Besides, isn't this why asura build golems?"

Tonka sighed. "My apprentice and I built a golem from scratch as part of her training. It was used more for experiments rather than transportation."

"Apprentice?"

"She was a little charmer named Saya. Very smart, and wise for her age. We parted ways after the incident that resulted in my exile," he explained. "It was a forced parting, of course. She wanted to come with me, but I forbade it. She hadn't even chosen a college yet, and with her genius she could excel in whatever path she chose. No need to waste that genius as an independent researcher."

She nodded. "So what happened to that golem?"

The asura stiffened slightly. "Nothing much. It's currently floating through a rift between present time and space and will never be seen again."

Her mouth fell agape slightly at this. She tried to form words, but they came out as stutters instead. Eventually she said, "A rift in time?"

"The mathematics is quite simple once it's been perfected and you take into account the proper materials that won't affect your experiment. Energy in present time compared to…"

"Easy there Tonks," she stated. "No use explaining, I'll forget it later as is."

He smirked at this, smiling. "Good, because it's a lot to explain compared to the amount of time this walk back to the village would take."


End file.
